Associate Professor – Natural Language Processing

About the role

The Faculty of Science at Stellenbosch University seeks an Associate Professor to lead research and teaching in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML). This joint appointment spans the Divisions of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of modern AI research.

Key responsibilities

• Teach core and specialised undergraduate and postgraduate modules across computer science and applied mathematics, including advanced courses in NLP, ML and AI.
• Publish high‑quality research in reputable international journals and conferences.
• Recruit, supervise and mentor MSc and PhD students, and develop postdoctoral fellows.
• Provide research leadership for a collaborative group linking computer science and applied mathematics.
• Secure competitive external research funding from national, international and industry sources.
• Contribute to curriculum renewal and development of advanced courses in NLP, LLMs, trustworthy AI and related areas.
• Establish productive collaborations with other universities, research organisations, industry and government.

Required profile

• PhD in computer science, applied mathematics or a closely related discipline.
• Established, internationally recognised research profile in NLP with a sustained publication record.
• Proven ability to develop an internationally competitive research programme in NLP/ML.
• Successful supervision of MSc and PhD students to completion.
• Demonstrated success in attracting external research funding.
• University‑level teaching experience in NLP, ML or AI, with willingness to teach at least one core third‑year computer science module.
• Evidence of international academic recognition (invited talks, collaborations, awards, etc.).
• Excellent academic communication skills in English.

Required skills

• Natural Language Processing (NLP)
• Machine Learning (ML)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)